Screw You, Laws of Nature
by LethoBion
Summary: She always took her normal life for granted. But when a plane crash lands her in Atmos, in the face of her 'twin,' she is forced to face dangerous quests to get back home. Thing is, Atmos isn't planning on letting her go.AXP.CXD requesting OCs in reviews!
1. The sky's the limit

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------Chapter 1: The Sky's the Limit----------------------------------------------------**

"Master Cyclonis!"

She turned as Loddrick collapsed to his knees before her. Kneeling with him, Cyclonis grabbed his shoulders to stop him from falling forward.

"You're wounded. What happened?"

"All of Atmos is coming, Master! The Storm Hawks are leading them, and-"

She held her cloak against his mouth as he coughed. One glance at her cloak told her he was coughing up blood.

"Say no more. Yenzelle, Get him to the hospital," she ordered, helping him up and into the arms of the maid. She strode to her throne room, determination powering her every step. Atmos wasn't going to wound her citizens like that and get away with it. Cyclonia would treat this as an act of war and betrayal against the peace treaty. And those Storm Hawks; the so called heroes, who pillaged her every ship and colony, they would pay. They had helped her form the treaty; now, with new members, the squadron was nothing but a mere shell of the glory and justice it once symbolized. Cyclonis wondered how Aerrow could have let this happen.

She leaned over her crystal engine, preparing the defenses. There was another, important person among the Storm Hawks that should not have let this happen; but she couldn't remember who. Ever since her fight with the demon, her memory had been scarred. She struggled to remember the face of her former comrades and only succeeded in earning herself a headache. Shaking her head to clear it, Cyclonis went back to punching in force shield codes. The clear blue, autumn Cylonian skies became tinted red as the shield engaged.

"Andy! Disengage the shields; we have to evacuate the citizens!"

She turned to see her brother, Hans, enter the room, panting. She frowned.

"Hans, the bulk of Atmos's forces is coming-"

"Yes, but they're just a decoy. We have to get out of here, the Storm Hawks are already inside-"

He was interrupted as a blue bolt blasted the doors into pieces. A huge piece of door flew towards Cyclonis, but Hans pushed her aside and let it smash into him. Cyclonis let out a cry as she turned to see her brother's unconscious form crumpled on the ground. The Storm Hawks stepped in, armed with weapons and scowls. Cyclonis looked at the hostile faces that she did not recognize, and filled her eyes with hatred that rivaled the hatred in theirs put together. She stood up, summoning her Firebolt broadsword. With one sweep, she made an energy blast that sent the squadron flying into the hallway wall. She raised it against as she saw more figures step though the dust, gleaming with the light of their weapons. But she froze dead as she looked into the face of their leader. Purple hair, purple eyes; the Storm Hawks woman could have been Cyclonis's twin.

"Andy, put your sword down; we're here to help you!"

The woman's voice sent a wave of pain crashing through Cyclonis's head. Memories, important memories tried to force their way through the block her last encounter with her inner demon had left. In one instant, a name popped into her head-

"Cynthia," Cyclonis panted, trying to think through the pain.

"Yes, it's me; now please, put your sword down. We're here to help you."

Cyclonis almost did; the woman she called Cynthia had such a soothing voice, much like her own, but much more familiar, much more safe-

She screamed as another memory lanced through her mind. Images, pictures of her citizens, her people dying, crumpled into the streets of their own neighborhoods, drenched in their own blood-

And the Storm Hawks, the symbol of Atmos, standing over the bodies with bloodied weapons.

She glared at them. She, Andromeda Hildegard Morgenstern, would never forgive these murderers. She was going to change Atmos for the better; if they decided to stand in her way, then so it would be.

* * *

Andy sighed and collapsed onto her desk, lazily taking out her journal. She clicked her pen once and started to write.

_What did I learn today? Date-rape is bad. Well, no shit, Sherlock._

_I always thought that was what all the underage girls at bars wanted._

_I don't talk to my mother about these things, or anything, really, because she would go off on a tangent about how alcohol destroys lives, drugs turn people into walking vegetables, and all that jazz I get on posters at school and cigarette packages._

_Anyways, that's my fact of the day. The more you know. _

_I'm alive, there's another one._

_Circles are round, I can barely see the stars in this city, and all my memories are faded and rely upon photographs._

Andy sighed and looked at her writing. Abstract and devoid of direction, as usual. Julie always said that she liked this style; Andy honestly couldn't see why. Sure, it worked great when she was writing lyrics for their songs; but really, it just proved how devoid of direction her mind and future was. She threw herself on her bed and looked out her window. Nothing but a black sky and that blurry yellow thing they called the moon. She sighed again. Her grades were going to get her nowhere, and her singing didn't guarantee her a position in the musical career. She looked at the black sky and contemplated upon how ironically similar the sky was to her future.

"The sky's the limit… literally," she muttered to herself.

Well. She sighed once more and closed her eyes to sleep.

* * *

**Author's note**

**Well, here's the start of my story. I won't be updating for a while, as I will be accepting OCs and trying to put them in the story before I finish.**

**If you want your OC in here, here's the format for registration;**

**Name**

**Age**

**Gender**

**Appearance (haircolor, eyes, clothing style, skin, etc.)**

**Personality**

**A little bit of history**

**Preferred role (cyclonian, skyknight, mercenary, etc.)**

**I would thank all of you who review and register OCs; I'm just starting to learn how to write, so all elaborate flames and brutally honest criticism is always welcome and thanked graciously.**

**Au Revoir!**


	2. Of Liberal frienships, llamas and liars

**-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Chapter 2: Of Liberal friendships, Llamas, and Liars. -----------------------------------------------**

"Kirk, what are you doing with that staple gun?" Andy asked her brother as she came out of the shower, towel on her head.

"My notebook's falling apart," he grumbled as he struggled to try and make the thing work. Normally, Andy would have taken any contraption too dangerous and complicated for Kirk's five year old mind immediately, but she was too disgusted by the idea of getting up for school to care. Besides, the damn kid was fifteen; surely he could handle a staple gun. Andy rushed to her room while rubbing her hair dry. There was only two weeks left in school and she was already beginning to hate it. Then again, when did she ever like school? She pulled her skinny jeans on and threw a glamour kills t-shirt over her head. Tying her almost-dry hair back into the usual ponytail, Andy was about to head downstairs when-

"AAAHHHHH!!"

Andy crashed out of her room to find out what the hell the scream was for. She found Kirk on the floor of the second living room, clutching his hand.

"What happened?" Andy crouched next to him, frowning in concern.

"I... stapled my fingers together!"

Andy just stared for a few seconds, then shook her head and picked the staple gun up. Why did she ever even try? She hoisted Kirk onto a chair and then went downstairs.

She met her mother on the way up.

"What happened?"

"He stapled his fingers."

"Wha- then help-"

"No. You gave him the gun; you take care of it," and she walked off without a word.

Andy grabbed her bag and walked out the front door, leaving her mother to panic in front of Kirk. She had an idiot for a brother and a geek for a mother. She hated it. Listening to a random All Time Low song, Andy frowned on the entire bus ride to the school. Today was an all-assembly day anyway. Why did she have to go? Stupid graduation requirements. What with graduation coming up, she really didn't want to see the school, ever.

She got off the bus and strode through the halls, noting faces that she recognized. People she knew but didn't say hi to anymore, ex-friends that drifted away, ex-enemies that she really didn't care about anymore, and etcetera. No familiar face was to be seen. Andy was a loner, and she liked it that way. Enemies were obstacles, friends were baggage, and this world was full of shit. Why did she care about anything? She was stuck with her family, and they've done things for her, so she cared. All other people did was get in her face and make her feel like shit. So she didn't care. It was a simple system.

Andy frowned as she chucked her bag to the side of the auditorium. Why was she thinking about it anyway? She just thought what was necessary, did what was necessary, and got on with life. She took the first available seat and immediately zoned out. This assembly was basically about school pride; nothing she needed for her future.

Finding herself unable to fall into a half-asleep trance, but her thoughts continued against her will.

She knew she was a bitch to people. A depressed, cold bitch. But she didn't give a damn. It was her life to live. And she wasn't like those girls who flirted everyday; she wasn't even planning on getting married. Who needs love? Andy's father thought he did. Look what happened to his love life. Divorced, denied custody, and living alone in Paris. To be honest, Andy thought he was better off. At least her father had the guarantee that no one was close enough to hurt him.

"Llama!"

Andy cringed as everyone started to laugh. She didn't even want to know where the hell that came from. Ignorance was a pain. She couldn't believe how infernally stupid some people could be. She'd seen grown men wearing pink tutus and dancing around because of a few beers. It was disgusting. She scowled and resumed her inattentiveness.

She pondered on a few things about her future, then scowled as she remembered another stupidity that would be an obstacle in her life. Her name. Her mother was an astronomer, and thought it would be fitting to name her _Andromeda_. People said it was unique, but she could tell they were either internally laughing or cringing. She hated both; her name and the fact that people feel the urge to lie every day. It was part of the reason Andy pushed away her friends; because she could tell they didn't like her, and yet they gave her a sugar-coated fake smile. It frustrated Andy. So, after two years of trying to gain their respect, she gave up. She stopped packing lunches so she could spend lunch hour in the library, doing something worth her time.

One year had passed since her 'change.' That one year took her from a miserable, desperate teenager to someone who knew life and just decided not to care too much. As soon as she legally became an adult, she was going to drop the name Andromeda Morgenstern and become Alexis Wiater, because the name Andromeda did not help develop a professional opinion and respect. Besides, 'Morgenstern' was too cliché; it meant morning star in German. Her grandparents wouldn't mind; she probably had a hundred cousins on her mother's side.

The long assembly ended, and Andy waited until the rampage of students cleared. Then she calmly stood up and walked out, grabbing her bag on the way.

Graduation was coming, and so was the end of her encounters with ignorance. She was almost free.

She went down to Julie's house, walking around the yard to get to her garage.

Julie, Eric, and Neal were the only friends she had left. She was here because of things that she hadn't given up on; those three and music. Music was what kept her going through the divorce, and music was her shield to the stupid babblings of others. She'd come to Julie's garage, write a song, and then sing it with all she had as they worked their magic. She didn't know what she was going to do with them in her future; the band was going nowhere, but she didn't ever want to give it up.

"Hey, Andy," Eric said absently as he did a crossword. They were all sitting on the couch, Julie doing her homework, Eric sipping his coffee, and Neal munching on a doughnut with his feet on the coffee table. Andy tossed her bag in the corner and joined them. They all finished what they were doing and looked at her expectantly, if not with a bit of reluctance. But Andy didn't see the reluctance.

"No new songs today. Let's just work a bit more on what we had, shall we?"

And so the session began. Everyone grabbed their respective instruments and gathered around the drum set as Neal blew some dust off his sticks. They all grabbed chairs and sat.

"Let's go through 'Save Me' again."

The only reply was the turning up of amps.

"Down go my defenses,  
My hands are tied,  
I'm unprotected,  
Please protect my life.

Guns are firing,  
Buildings fall,  
And in the rubble,  
I lay exposed.

What's the ransom?  
I want my freedom!

My fighting heart has fallen short,  
I need a shelter, to heal my hurt,  
And my fighting heart has nothing left  
To find my way home,  
I need your help.

Will you save me?

Will you save me?"

* * *

Cyclonis floated through her mind as she slept. It was the only time that she was free from the demon, as her dreams protected her from him during slumber. Sleeping and dreaming were the only thing that kept her alive during the eight years of her reign. If she had been plagued by him without respite, Cyclonis would have committed suicide. But then again, that might have been a good thing. With no blood-heir to gain the throne, the demon would have died with her. The dictatorship of Cyclonia would end, and the empire would be restored to its former noble glory. She thought of the times before the demon, when she would spend sunny days in the balcony of the library, stuffing her head with books and knowledge, sometimes of knights and princesses. She would practice sky fu with Frigate, her hawk-eyed softy of a teacher. She would make new crystals and show them to her mother,

And she would spend hours talking with her sister.

Eight years had passed since the voice in her head that she had known since before she could remember left. The voice that always offered encouragement, lamented others' pain like it was hers, and of the little girl who wanted to save the world. Andy was a symbol of hope and clumsy kindness. Cyclonis had taken for granted that Andy was her sister, and so did she; that was, until Andy was taken to therapy by strangers and convinced that Cyclonis wasn't real. Cyclonis didn't remember much about Andy anymore, or about how they figured out their parents, or how in the world Andy was blocked off when they couldn't even get privacy when they wanted to. But she did know one thing; both of them were overcome with grief.

Then her mother died. No, her mother was murdered. By her own grandmother. Cyclonis was forced to watch, and she vividly remembered the pleading, the anger, the defiance, and finally, the blood. Now she realized that that was when the demon took over. He whispered to her of human imperfections, impurities, and how Cyclonis could change all that. How Cyclonis should get revenge. She had just submitted out of horror and anger. She took the broadsword in hand and killed the murderer. Another thing that she recalled in detail: the expression on The Dark Ace's face as he saw her do it.

"_You killed Master Cyclonis."_

"_Wrong. I am Master Cyclonis now."_

He had no reaction but to bow to her, while Frigate had stared in horror and despair. She saw him leave the castle the following morning, bearing the grief of a man who had just lost his family. Now, Cyclonis wondered if he felt that he had lost the only two things that were important to him; his just liege and his pupil, a daughter that he never had.

Cyclonis regretted many things. She regretted the loss of lives to Cyclonia, the hearts she had hurt needlessly, and the people she had lost to the demon. She was broken and forced against her will; her conscience was obliterated under the Demon's whisperings. Her soul had been tortured and 'disciplined' many times when she refused to act and speak for the demon; now she was incapable of defending herself from anything. She cried for help; but no one answered, not even her sister.

Cyclonis floated down onto a carpet of grass and felt the wind on her face. She didn't dare to open her eyes, though. It was much too good a dream to risk waking up from, at least for a while. She would have to wake up, and then the ordeal of regret, sorrow, and pain would start all over again.

A song drifted to her ears as she just lay there in surrender.

_I'll be gone for a while now.  
To start again,  
So call my loved ones,  
And fill them in.  
My head is heavy,  
My soul is tired,  
But life is worth it.  
I must survive._

_What's the ransom,  
To win my freedom?_

_My fighting heart has fallen short  
__I need a shelter to heal my hurt.__  
My fighting heart has nothing left to  
Find my way home,  
I need your help._

_Will you save me?_

_How many words do I need to speak._

'_till you see me, find me on my knees._

_Oh and how many cried for help do you need_

'_till you see me, broken and incomplete…_

_Will you save me?_

_Save me……….._

**------------------**

**Hello again. **

**I'm sorry about the late update; what with term-end tests, I couldn't quite find myself the time to fine-tune Andy's personality.**

**Kitty: Thanks, and I hope you look forward to your OC's appearance. I've got a great spot fixed for her. And yes, I do take French. I live in Canada, so it's the basic first language to learn, unless you want to take Spanish or Italian. I've been learning French for the past three years, so it's too late for me to start anything else, really. Merci beaucoup pour le reponse!**

**Zapwing: Thank you for the review, and also look forward to your OC. I've come up with an interesting role for him. **

**Mastermind: Thanks for the review. Unfortunately, I've not had the time to connect with your characters yet, but I will definitely get to that this weekend. **

**And for credits and legal things…**

**I do not own the Storm Hawks, its characters, and plot. The content of this piece is purely of my artistic interpretation, and I do not imply that any of it is true.**

**I do not own the song 'Save Me,' nor do I imply that it does not belong to its rightful owner.**

**The song is by Elle, and is written by Daniel Heykants. I do suggest that you check them out.**

www.**ellesmusic**.com/

**As always, well explained flames are always welcome. Don't be afraid to offend me; I'm looking for brutally honest criticism. Thank you.**


	3. That trembling Facade

I'm going to squeeze one more earthling in before we head for Atmos, so bear with me.

**-------------------------------------------------------------Chapter 3: The smile that trembles in the mask of tears-----------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Henri watched as the different coloured flames raced around, bumping into each other occasionally. Red, blue, navy, purple, fawn, aquamarine lights danced. Henri noted with a hint of amusement that a lot of blues were present. One bumped into a tree of white flames. Henri always wondered why all plants were white. He hadn't tried to talk to them to find out, though. He was too scared. The trees were slow beings and sometimes filled with rage at humans; he didn't want to risk his life for curiosity.

So he returned to watching the mostly-blue flames dance around in the empty black square in the middle of white grass. It was a beautiful sight, really. He could see many other colours of flames walking by, or racing past in a black vehicle, or sitting in the grass for a picnic. He wished everyone could see what he saw, because then everyone would care and the world would be so much better.

But one thing worried him a lot. When he tried to look at himself, to see what colour he was, he would see nothing but blackness. It would be as if he was looking at an inanimate object when he looked at his hands. He tried not to look at his legs, because they seemed to be merged with his wheelchair. He wondered what it meant. He spent entire night fretting over it, wondering if he was an alien, or a cursed being. He never told his parents; they would take him to the church to be purified, and if that didn't work, they would forever regard him as a devil. He wondered if his ability to see life was just that of a demon. He hoped to god that it wasn't, and prayed every night wishing that he could prove to himself that he wasn't a spawn of hell, that his gifts were truly given to him by his shepherd. He was devoted and faithful, yet he was plagued day and night by doubt.

"Henri!"

The fawn flame walked over, her atmosphere taking on a delighted air. Henri could tell she was smiling.

"Yeah?"He said, smiling back. Cassie stopped in front of him, hands on her knees and panting.

"We're gonna wrap up the game. Wanna come and get some ice cream with us? Brian's paying." The fawn flames tinged with hope as Cassie straightened up.

"Sure. What's the score?"

"Ten- five. We're getting slaughtered," Cassie laughed as she went back to the game. Henri smiled as the sound of a bouncing basketball resumed and tension swallowed the black square. His friends were such sports freaks. He loved watching how they played with their eyes on nothing but victory, and still loved the fun of it more than anything else. He was lucky to have met these people. He envied them too. He wished he could give his all to live and still be happy when it was over. They knew how to live in the moment; he hoped that one day he would learn. But now, he was content with watching them be alive.

* * *

Henri scooped up another bit of his DQ blizzard and contemplated on how big and diverse the world was. He saw all these colors that he hadn't even imagined walk past, and all these emotions and thoughts whizzing around him just amazed him. He wished he could show people how wonderful it was. Maybe then they would stop making it such a bad world.

Cassie pushed his wheelchair as she slurped her coke-flavoured slushie, Brian tried to keep his strawberry milkshake away from Evan, who claimed to love his blueberry ice cream but couldn't get enough of everyone else's. Annie just drank/ate her taro bubble tea as two of the triplets, Jordan and Isaac, were starting another debate about how insensible it was to compare Shakespeare to Stephanie Meyer, two of the opinions for two completely different reasons. Henri, personally, was on Shakespeare's side. Romeo and Juliet taught the lesson of love and how powerful it was in a heart-wrenching act, but Twilight promoted teenage depression and pregnancy. But what would Henri know? He was a guy. To him, it was just a ping-pong rally of "I love you Edward, I don't care if you're dangerous' 's, and "Stay away, Bella, I'm dangerous and I'm a hypocrite and I don't deserve you." 's. It bored Henri, and the fourth book was just plain confusing. He'd read it because of Isaac's insistence. And the movie; my god, could Kristen Stewart look more like a stoner? But he didn't voice his opinions because it would spark a huge Twilight war. He found it stupid how obsessed people were with loving and hating the series. He mostly just kept away from it. Besides, if people loved Twilight, that was their business and he had no right to wrong them because of it. It wasn't like it was an ethical issue.

"Henri?" Cassie looked down at him, curiosity and concern filling her air.

"Yeah?"

"Why don't you take that blindfold off? Doesn't it get awful scratchy and hot?"

"Doctors orders. I have to keep my eyes in top shape in case my brain starts picking up the signals again."

"That must suck," Brian said, finally letting Evan have a sip of his shake. Henri saw that his flames were that of freedom and flight; of course he would think it was terrible.

Henri shrugged. "I don't really mind. I feel kinda cool wearing it, though. Like Ur from Avalon code."

They all laughed. They never understood why Henri loved video games so much, especially when he was blind.

"Cassie, tell them, Twilight isn't even in the same league as Twelfth Night!" Jordan shouted.

"I don't give a damn! You like two different things, and that's fine, so can you shut the hell up about it?"

Despite her order, the two just kept going on, now moving on to Justin Bieber versus Coldplay. Exasperation dominated the air, leaving the small storm of opinions and arguments alone. Henri smiled. He loved them.

When the debate finally died down, Cassie was wheeling Henri through his front lawn and up his porch, with the entire gang behind her.

"You sure you don't wanna come to the party at Brian's tonight?"

"Sorry. Ariel's graduation is today. Next time?"

"Ah, highschoolers. Oh well. Next time, you have to come, okay?" Brian said, smiling. "Oh, and if our moms ask, we're doing homework, okay?"

Henri smiled. "Sure."

Jordan snorted. "Wipe that smug smile off your face, Mr. Smartass. Just because you graduated university you don't get to gloat."

"But you will be doing that to us next year," Annie said, quiet as usual.

Everyone laughed. Annie's very seldom voiced opinions always made people happy or thoughtful. Her purple flames seemed to have the thoughtful quality of seeing through everything. The gift of truth. Henri enjoyed her company a lot; relaxation came with the honesty.

"Alright, all of you. Go home before our parents figure out whatever the hell you're doing," Henri said, grinning.

"Bye, Henri!"

"See ya later!"

"Don't trip your wheelchair!"

"Don't trip, period!"

He couldn't help but laugh out loud as they ran off. He swiveled around with practiced skill and opened the door.

He couldn't have been luckier.

* * *

Cyclonis flinched as The Dark Ace was thrown into the landing dock. What was happening? How could Piper overpower her? How did they achieve Perfect Attunement? No, she was far more superior, far more powerful.

"Do something, you arrogant witch!"

Cyclonis stared in shock for a few seconds. How _dare_ he? She knew his loyalty had been wavering the past few months, but she did not know of his defiance and arrogance. He would see, he would feel in his very own body. She looked over to the far side crystal, the magnificent beauty, and directed her mind towards it-

_Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!_

Cyclonis screamed as a shriek and pain pierced her mind. She fell through the air, writhing in pain, as the Demon surfaced and battled whatever was in her head.

_What? What's happening- it hurts!_

_Get out of my head!_

_WHO DARES TO INTERFERE?_

_What is that? Where am I? Who are you? HELP!_

Cyclonis gasped as she recognized the additional voice.

_Andy?_

_I DON"T CARE WHO YOU ARE; YOU SHALL DIE!_

* * *

**There you go, a nice cliffhanger. The next chapter will be what events lead to Andy's crash in Atmos. I know I flashed a bit forward there. And the Henri narrative may have been a bit boring, but I needed to set his personality up a bit before I moved on.**

**Kitty; Thanks for the compliment, I appreciate it. I'm glad you enjoy the story. I hope it doesn't get too boring; I'm going to set up more Earthling background before really diving into Atmos. **

**Legal things: I do not own the Storm Hawks, any of its characters, or its plot, nor do I imply that it does not belong to its rightful and lawful owner.**

**Have a nice day. I really can't believe Christmas so near!**


	4. It hurts me to say this

**Hey, all. I'm back. I hope I haven't offended anyone with my Twilight spiel last chapter; I truly am positively neutral towards it, but it seemed like such an excellent choice to show Henri's personality.**

**--------------------------------------------------------------------Chapter Four: It hurts me to say this, but it kills me to keep it inside--------------------------------------------------------**

It had been an hour since Andy slapped on her best smile and started to say good bye and sign people's yearbooks politely. As much as she didn't care, it was common courtesy to graduate on a happy note and offer good memories. She was off to France to live with her Father tomorrow, as she was old enough to decide who she wants to live with, and her father had funded her enrollment into the Twelfth university of Paris, the Val de Marne. She was off and away from the North American population of stupidity.

Her smile faltered a bit as she recognized the next person to ask for a yearbook sign; Ariel Greenburg, Her former bff, if you'll excuse the irony. Ariel smiled hopefully and apologetically. Andy sighed. She was sorry, and that was enough to earn forgiveness. Andy smiled back, a bit more genuinely, and signed the book. After all, Ariel was there for Andy through thick and thin. They hugged, and Ariel held onto Andy's hands. She sighed, and Andy tensed. Ariel was using her bad news sigh.

"Look, I'm sorry about before. Being insensitive. But I need one promise from you."

"What is it?" Andy asked cautiously.

"Promise me that you'll come back to being the Andy we know. I promise that I'll never let you down again, so please. Come back to being Andy, before Hans died."

Andy jerked her hands away. How could she say that? Ariel didn't understand. She never would. It was like watching your arms get amputated then hearing someone demanding that you grow them back. Ariel had no idea what it was like to lose someone, and Andy was sick of her pretending like she did.

"You have no right to say that to me," Andy seethed, then turned to walk away. It didn't occur to her that no real worded thoughts were behind her anger.

"You used to be the nicest person I ever knew! You have to move on! Hans would have wanted that!" Ariel shouted.

Andy whirled around, fully enraged. She didn't care that the entire room was watching her now. "Hans? What do you know what Hans would have wanted? What do you know about losing someone? Don't talk to me like you know what Hans wanted, because you don't have a damn clue!"

She stormed out of the building, heading for the car. She didn't hear Ariel quietly say,

"I would if you told me...."

----------

Andy parked her car in front of Julie's house and breathed in heavily. There was a time where Ariel was her most trusted friend, along with Julie. They would get teased by Eric, Neal, and Adam, Ariel would end up crying, Julie would comfort her while Andy went to kick the boys' asses. Then in eighth grade, they would get together and do homework, write songs, and just hang out.

Her stomach clenched uneasily when she thought of these things. She firmly believed that she did nothing wrong, and still her gut acted like a sinner. She thought she'd chosen what was best for herself, and still she felt incomplete.

Andy shook her head and got out of the car. She threw her gown off her guitar case, hoisted the instrument up and out of the car, and headed for the basement as usual. She had a tone of finality, though; as much as she loved music, she had to say goodbye and move onto university. She wasn't even sure if she was going to keep in touch when she went to France. Andy thought this guiltily. She was scared of confronting them.

She opened the door by a crack when she heard her name.

"Andy needs to go."

"But Julie-"

"Eric, we can't put up with this forever. She treats us like we're inferior, and I'm tired of it."

"She's right. Andy's going to have to get out of the band."

"But she's been our friend since before we can remember, guys!"

"Been? How about _was_? Have you noticed how she doesn't even bother to say Hi to us anymore? How she doesn't even _talk_ to us?"

The was silence as Andy just stood there, in shock.

"She's still Andy."

"We don't know that anymore."

Andy couldn't take anymore. She slammed the door shut and ran back to her car, holding back tears. She was here to apologize before she left, to say goodbye sincerely, and they were planning to cut her from the band? She was leaving for Paris tomorrow, and they were going to push her before she left. She slammed the door to the car and started driving. She muttered a curse as raindrops started pelting on the windshield. Flicking the wiper on, she pressed harder on the gas pedal. She was probably breaking the speed limit, but she didn't care. She just wanted to get away from that goddamn place. She probably wanted the cops to catch her, and dare them to shoot her.

But no sirens wailed behind her. She reached home safely, and she cursed herself for that. She wanted a little to get in a car crash, just to make people feel bad. She was selfish and repelling. She slammed the door shut and walked across the front lawn.

Andy fell on all fours, not comprehending why she fell. Tears had blurred her vision so much that she couldn't see Kirk's skateboard. She wiped her eyes and told herself she wasn't crying. She hadn't cried in a year, and she wasn't planning to ever again. She'd drained all her tears at Hans's funeral. It was just the rain. It was just the rain getting in her eyes.

"Who am I kidding?" She shouted out, defeated. Tears spilled over as she knelt there in the grass.

She took the path that society gave her. She took the path of survival without heartbreak, the one without pain. She went where she would be shielded from society's injustices. She did the best she could to appease society and keep away from it at the same time.

And still, it continued to torture her with guilt and pain. She vowed to never let her heart be broken again, yet it'd been broken. The world made her want to survive without pain, and still it managed to find a way to hurt her.

"What do you want?!" She cried out into the air, sobbing. "What more do you want from me?!"

"Why can't you just leave me alone…………………?"

* * *

_GET OUT OF MY HEAD!_

Cyclonis fought back with all her might. The Demon was trying to subdue the flailing Andy, and it caused pain to lancing through her head. The world blurred, and she was freefalling through the air. She felt a hard thud as she landed on rock, and the pain in her head vanished.

"Who are you to dare interfere!?" The Demon shouted, it's black flames flickering.

Cyclonis opened her eyes, and saw her exact double cowering on the ground, blood flowing from a cut on her forehead. She stood up and saw the black, flaming form of the Demon standing over the Andy, enraged. Cyclonis stood up and dashed towards them, standing between The Demon and Andy. She was disoriented and scared; but the Demon wasn't going to hurt her sister.

"WHAT, IS IT THE DAY OF REBELLION AND ARROGANCE? STEP ASIDE, GIRL, OR I'LL RIP YOUR SOUL TO SHREDS!"

Cyclonis finally recognized the conscience and stability she felt; this was a dream inside her own mind. It was her mind, and she made the rules.

Cyclonis smiled as her staff materialized in her hand. If she was going to die, she was going to die fighting for what she believed in. She brandished it towards to monster, ready to fight.

"SO YOU WILL THROW AWAY YOUR LIFE TO SAVE YOUR SISTER AND ATMOS. SO BE IT."

Andy watched the blurred figures jump at each other, deflecting each other. She was scared beyond belief. Why was she here? She was on a plane. Something happened, but she couldn't remember. Something important happened, but she couldn't remember when or how she got here. She was scared. She was falling. She could feel falling, yet the barren rock beneath her stayed the same. Where in the world was she?

Andy gasped as one of the blurred figures collapsed next to her, defeated. Andy rubbed away her tears, only to see the exact copy of herself, only in bloody clothes.

"YOU WILL NEVER DEFEAT ME. I AM THE ALL-POWERFUL. I AM THE DARK SIDE OF ATMOS."

The shadow approached, and Andy panicked. She didn't want it anywhere near. She wanted it to go away and leave her alone.

"Stay away from me!"

She kicked at the shadow, and time seemed to stop for a second. All seemed still.

Then everything exploded. Memories of her childhood, guilt, regret, and every other emotion was released in her head, along with pain. The girl beside her was writhing in pain too. Andy couldn't see, because the Demon had exploded into light. Distorted screams seemed to ring in her skull, and she wanted it to be over. She wanted the pain to stop.

_STOP!_

Two voiced shouted, and then it was over. The pain, the memories, and the light were gone.

Cyclonis slowly opened her eyes. She was soaring through the air, as if she was on a skimmer. She looked up into the red skies of Cyclonia, and remembered the battle. Her anger and insanity for vengeance was gone, and she recognized the peace of her own mind, her own thoughts, her own decisions for the first time in many, many years. It wasn't only that' she felt her entire soul her family's souls becoming free. She also recognized the thoughts behind this war as those of the Demons compulsion. She had to stop it. Even if she had to be executed, peace would be restored before she died.

"Master?"

She looked up at the worried and guilt-plagued face of her servant, and realized that she _was_ on a skimmer. The Dark ace had caught her as she fell, but what of the battle?

Cyclonis sat up straight in his lap and looked around, absorbing every detail. Aerrow and Piper were still chasing them, and the battle to destroy the pontoons raged on.

So much to stop, and so little time before they figured out how to destroy the terra.

"Dark Ace" she said, the authority of her position seeping into her voice. Dark Ace looked at her in surprise. The anger and coldness was gone from her voice. She looked at him, determined.

"I need you to fly us back to the castle. We have to evacuate the civilians before Cyclonia falls."

"Yes, Master."

"And Ace?"

"?"

"Thank you for catching me."

* * *

**Whoah… Maybe I'm going a little too fast. **

**So, nice little DAXC ending there, and thank you for reading.**

**Kitty: Thanks, as always!**

**Mastermind: No, it's okay. Thanks for the profile! I'll get a position for them soon.**

**Legal stuff(this gets really boring after a while)**

**I do not own the storm hawks**

**I do not own the OCS that fellow authors have submitted at their own discretion.**


	5. Slave of the 21st century

**Hello, all. I apologize for the late entry; but I ran out of notebook space. I had to write on the computer from scratch. I get so unconfident when I don't have a rugged draft there to guide me. This took extra long, but I hope that it will be extra good.**

**----------------------------------------------------------------------I'm not a coward; I'm just another slave of the 21****st**** century. ----------------------------------------------------------**

Andy gasped as she opened her eyes. The lurch of her gut made her thoughts scatter like rats before light as she flailed in the air. She was in the middle of a freefall, and nothing was to be seen but red clouds. The terrifying adrenaline rendered her incapable of thinking. She screamed at the top of her lungs, wanting nothing more that the fall to stop. Her brain could do nothing to stop this reflex horror; the terror pushed away all coherent thoughts and kept Andy screaming.

_SHIT!_

Tears came out of her eyes, and she squeezed them shut. Her instinct told her to keep them shut until it was over, but her mind managed to force on thought in; when and how would it end? When she went _splat_ on some forsaken ground?

Andy opened her eyes just in time to see a metal ground racing towards her. Panic of a greater magnitude gripped her and she outstretched her hands as she fell through a metal hole, closer to the ground.

_NO! STOP, PLEASE!_

A second before her bones would have shattered, everything stopped. Could still hear wind, she could still hear her own heavy breathing, but it seemed for three full seconds that her body had stopped inches above the floor, suspended in midair.

Three seconds passed, and Andy was dropped onto the floor, her arm muscles crashing under the pain of remaining outstretched as she fell on them.

It didn't occur to her that it would be strange to land on a metal surface. I didn't occur to her that she should be wondering why she was falling in the first place, or what had taken her off the plane to France. It didn't occur to her that the fall should have killed her. All she cared was that the fall was over, she was alive, and she was tired.

She let fatigue and confusion take over, closing her eyes.

And just like that, Andy Morgenstern was unconscious again.

But by some mysterious chance, the girl had fallen asleep on the blue insignia of a rising hawk

* * *

Cyclonis gasped as she dared to open her eyes again. She couldn't describe what she had experienced. Pure terror that killed all thoughts had just gripped her mind. She'd never felt anything like it in her life. She held Dark Ace's arm tightly, trying to calm herself. She had to get a grip. She had to end this battle before it went out of control. She had to stop the war before it got out of hand. Before it would be too late, she had to stop all this. She shed a tear as she realized that she had to sacrifice people for priorities again. The pure terror was that of Andy's, yet Cyclonis had to stop the battle before even considering her. How scared would Andy be? Stranded in a strange world and lost without anyone. Cyclonis couldn't blame her for being scared; Andy was never prepared to experience anything like this.

"Master, the nightcrawlers-"

"I know," she said as she opened her eyes. The nightcrawlers were spawns of the Demon's spirit. Without him, they would go berserk and answer to no one. She stood up on the wing of Ace's skimmer, taking a deep breath.

"Master-"

"Ace, hover the skimmer.

"But the Storm Hawks-"

"I know. Just do it."

He obeyed, frowning. What had gotten into his master? The insanity was gone from her eyes, and he felt calm himself, but what change had she gone through? Lady Arthania had asked him to protect Cyclonis until she had won against herself. Was this what his previous liege had spoke of? He no longer saw dark power behind the girl's eyes, only hope, regret, and determination. For the first time in many years, Cyclonis seemed human.

She winced as she saw Nightcrawlers attacking Cyclonian ships. She didn't have time to talk to Piper any more. As she was turning away to order Ace to charge, she caught something dark out of the corners of her eyes. A black and red blur was speeding towards the Skyknight, he didn't stand a chance-

"Piper!"

The girl turned, but she was too late. Cyclonis grabbed Ace's sword as the nightcrawler latched onto Aerrow, clawing blindly. She fired a bolt at the creature's face, sending it flying off into the distance. Aerrow stared at Cyclonis, dumbfounded. Piper frowned, wary. Cyclonis could have used this chance to talk to them, but she didn't have time. The entire fleet was burning. They couldn't fight both the Atmosians and the monsters.

"Ace, the ships!"

"On it!"

Cyclonis sped away from the shocked duo, sword ready and eyes narrowed against the wind. The nightcrawlers were massacring the Atmosian aramada too. She blasted a few off the Cyclonian ships, but she knew it wasn't enough. She looked down at Ace as he navigated along the wall of the ship. Cyclonis pried the firebolt crystal off the broadsword and sighed.

"Ace. Would you trust me one last time?"

He looked at her still puzzled. He saw the haste and panic in her eyes. He also saw the compassion that he had not seen before.

"This won't be the last time."

Cyclonis smiled wryly.

"Phoenix Inferno," She whispered, feeling the power flow through her and into Ace. Wings of fire engulfed him, and they flew towards all the nightcrawlers. The wings incinerated anything in their path, allowing Ace to just fly along the ships and exterminate the creatures. Cyclonis knew the power was on the brink of overriding her soul, but she kept going. The nightcrawlers had the potential to destroy everything when uncontrolled. She felt unconsciousness coming, but she fought it until the Cyclonian ships were freed from the monsters. Ace landed on his skimmer as Cyclonis let go of her power and caught her as she fell. Cyclonis panted, exhausted. Without the Demon's infinite resource of power to stabilize the binding, she was risking her soul and sanity.

"Master-"

"I'm fine. How are the Atmosian ships doing?"

"The brats are fighting. I think they're fine."

Cyclonis looked over. It seemed that the skyknight duo was doing better, but she stiffened as she looked at the castle. A swarm of nightcrawlers had broken their cages and were flying toward the ships. They didn't stand a chance. Unless…..

"Piper!"

The duo looked at Cyclonis as they finished off the last creature. Ace glided closer, and Aerrow had to shout for the Atmosians to hold their fire. Piper and Aerrow landed on Ace's skimmer wing, wary. Piper's eyes glowed with newfound power and grace, that which exceeded Cyclonis. The young empress was glad that someone stronger and purer at heart would be there to set things straight if it came to that.

"Cyclonis," Piper said.

"I know I've done so many wrong things, and I'm sorry. I will take the punishment. But will you help me? For the sake of Atmos and innocent civilians, will you help me?"

Cyclonis looked into her ex-friend's eyes, saw the determination and valour, and knew that she had her answer.

* * *

"Do something, Stork!"

"What do you want me to do?"

Andy groaned and struggled to open her eyes. A girly scream and a loud thud made her jump up in confused surprise.

"We're out of glue! We can't just throw Radarr at them!"

"We're DOOMED!"

Andy stood up, trying to make sense of the situation. Then the fall and the Demon, all the memories of the fight came rushing towards her. She looked around, trying to figure out where she was. Then her eyes landed on a blonde boy and a-

"AAHHH!!!" Andy screamed.

The two jerked and stared, then screamed back.

"A talking newt!"

"MASTER CYCLONIS!!!"

Andy fell backwards into a chair, still screaming. What the hell was that green thing?

A loud thud at the door silenced the three. The blonde boy whimpered, and the amphibian-looking thing muttered incoherently about doom. Andy stared at the metal door, scared. The room looked like a ship bridge, like the ones you would see in a science fiction novel. The windshield revealed nothing but red sky, the kind that she saw during her fall.

The door cracked, and Andy didn't know what to do. What the hell was doing this?

Metal flew everywhere as the door finally gave. Andy screamed again as black creatures that looked like men advanced, laughing. What the hell was this place?

The shadows flew at Andy, and she outstretched her hands in panic. The feeling of adrenaline overcame Andy again, and a shockwave ripped through the air, tossing the shadow men back. Andy looked at her hands, confused. The two other guys looked at her, amazed. Then, as another group advanced, they hid behind Andy.

She stared hard at the shadows, thinking. Whatever they were, they were planning to hurt her. And she had to survive. She'd figure out what the hell was happening later, but she had to get out of this mess first.

"BACK!" she shouted with all her might, hands outstretched, thinking as hard as she could.

At first, it seemed like nothing would happen. Then, a huge boom resounded through the bridge as another shockwave sent the creatures flying into the walls, their crystal chestplates shattering. Andy waited for the dust to clear, her gut clenched in fear and anticipation. But nothing was behind the door and dust, waiting to jump at them. A laugh of relief escaped Andy's mouth, and she fell to her knees. What with the adrenaline, she was exhausted. Despite the fact that she just woke up, she wanted to sleep again.

"Stork, what do we do?"

Andy ignored the amphibian and the boy. She would close her eyes and count to ten, and then they'd be gone. She tried to remember the things her shrink had taught her long ago. This was all a hallucination, a dream. She'd been diagnosed with minor psychosis when she was younger, so this had to be just a side effect from the suppressed voices.

_Andy?_

_Who is that?_

Andy breathed heavily, scared. The voice in her head was back.

_Andy, thank god you're not hurt. Listen, you need to get out of there!_

_Cynthia?_

_Yes it's me. You need to get the condor and yourself out of there. If you stay, the ship will get destroyed._

_Why-what-_

_I'll explain later. Please, just trust me. I'll get you home as soon as I can, just please. Trust me._

Andy opened her eyes, trying to remember when she closed them. Not many elaborate thoughts went through her head. She just stood up and faced the amphibian.

"Get the ship out of here. It's going to get destroyed if we stay."

The two boys looked at her. Then, they looked at each other.

"We'll have to trust her."

Andy collapsed into a chair as the Amphibian started driving.

She was exhausted.

* * *

**That wasn't too good, was it? I promise to put more action in the next chapter.**

**FamousFi : Hey, thanks for the review. Yes, I am still looking for OCs, but I'll probably put the limit at ten.**

**MageofMusic : Thanks! I love your username, by the way.**

**Nerva: Haha, you always praise me too much. Thanks for reviewing!**

**Disclamers:**

**The Storm Hawks, Atmos, and all the characters except Henri and Andy belong to nerd corps and our esteemed creator, Mr. Ace Fipke.**

**OCs belong to their owners.**

**As always, brutal criticism and elaborately intelligent flames are welcomed with an open mind and willingness to learn. **


	6. Whee, I'm a chapter!

**Dear readers.**

**I hope you've had a nice Christmas. **

**Here goes nothing, as usual.**

**-----------------------------------------------------------------------Look at me, I'm a chapter heading!-----------------------------------------------------**

"Piper, Stop! I haven't been able to radio Stork yet, the condor might still be in the area-"

"Don't worry," Cyclonis said, opening her eyes. "They're out of range." Talking to Andy had calmed Cyclonis down significantly; now she was less afraid of death. She would die sane, in control of her own body, and for the things she truly believed in. And whatever chance of her family demon reappearing would be gone with her.

Aerrow eyed the crystal shield uneasily as the nightcrawlers swarmed around them, unable to get past the invisible force field. In a perimeter around the castle, all the Cyclonian and Atmosian ships were harnessing light crystals, keeping the creatures trapped in a doughnut. The Cyclonians that had been taken hostage for years had already been evacuated to the ships, but not before Cyclonis had begged for their forgiveness.

* * *

"_You monster!"_

"_You kept your own citizens as hostages?"_

"_Demon!"_

"_Tyrant!"_

_Cyclonis knelt before her people, taking the skyknights' insults. She held back tears. Even though the Cyclonians remained silent, the knowing looks on their faces tortured her even demon had kept the hostages to ensure that the men of Cyclonia would stay loyal, out of fear for their loved ones. No, not the demon. Cyclonis. She had made the final decision to keep them locked up. Whatever influence she may have been under, Cyclonis fully knew that she couldn't hide behind the demon as an excuse for her crimes. If she had been stronger, she could have not made these decisions that hurt so many people. The citizens had been the demon's back-up plan in case Atmos had overpowered him; threaten to kill the innocents unless he was allowed to flee. It disgusted Cyclonis, and yet the fact that she had been the one to make the decision sickened her even more._

_She inhaled heavily and mustered up her courage to speak._

"_Please, we don't have time. You need to get out of here with everyone else. I would beg for forgiveness were it not for the fact that You will perish if you do not evacuate now."_

_Everyone fell silent. When Cyclonis looked up, she was astonished to see forgiving smiles on their faces._

"_You've freed yourself," said one girl. Cyclonis looked into her blind eyes and cried for the first time in many years._

* * *

Cyclonis breathed in, cherishing the few breaths that she had left. The malicious red crystal glowed and pulsed, sensing the young Empress's resolve and purpose. She smiled in grim satisfaction. The crystal would know panic, fear, and hopelessness before it perished into oblivion.

She hadn't quite gotten rid of her sadistic side. But what did it matter? She would be gone soon anyway.

"Lark….," Piper said as she put a hand on Cyclonis's shoulder.

She winced. "Please don't call me that. It was my grandmother's name. It's not who I am," that last part might have been a lie, considering that she had fell into the Demon's control as easily as Lark Cyclonis had.

Cyclonis took a deep breath and faced Piper, chastising herself for forgetting one more crucial thing she had to do.

"I'm sorry for lying to you. I'm sorry for using you, and doing everything that I did. I don't expect you to forgive me, but would you believe me if I said that our short friendship was real?" Because it was. The demon, not comprehending Piper's heart, had used Cyclonis to gain trust. If only she had been strong enough.

"Don't say that like you're saying goodbye. You're going to hear me tell you if I forgive you or not after we get through this."

Cyclonis's only reply was to smile sadly. That blinding trust of Piper's made her wonder how the young mage survived this long. Then Cyclonis saw the young skyknight eyeing them warily and realized. He was always there to save her, and vice versa. One was nothing without the other. That's why they achieved perfect attunement.

Cyclonis wondered if she could have found someone like that for herself if she had been a normal person.

She rendered her own thoughts moot and turned back to the crystal, focusing on the task ahead.

"Piper, you know what to do. The crystal will send out a shockwave as it is destroyed. Amplify your powers through Aerrow and contain the energy. Leave the rest up the Dark Ace. Ace,"

Cyclonis waited for Ace to meet her eyes."

"You know what to do."

His eyes hardened, and she could see a hint of fear behind them. She regretted not having enough time to set things straight with him. She couldn't set things straight with many other people, either. The crystal was growing, and so was the power of the Nightcrawlers. The crystal, this link to the farside, the life force of the shadows, had to be destroyed before it developed a mind of its own like the Demon.

Ace's eyes pleaded with hers. Cyclonis could read him like an open book.

_I can't do this._

She smiled at him ruefully.

_You have to._

His eyes told of pain and justice, betrayal and love. She never knew the story behind his betrayal, and never wanted to know until now. She wondered how such a kind soul could have betrayed his friends. The Demon had called him weak of mind and backbone; Cyclonis knew that he had more than his cruel façade. He could never do what she asked without paining himself greatly.

But he had no choice. If Cyclonis was not killed by the time all the energy from the crystal overrode her soul, Atmos was doomed and Cyclonis would have used herself as a medium for evil once again. And once again, the demon from the farside would walk the earth.

Cyclonis thanked fate for giving her a reason not to tell Piper the exact physics of things. She would immediately deduce that Cyclonis planned to die, and suffer from her conscience.

She had to keep the pain to a minimum amount.

Cyclonis laughed at the amount of love she had for the world she was about to leave. Her laughter quieted down to almost silent sobs as she readied herself.

"Antiquitas dictum crasinus resisto malum, ergo anchora prope est. Ego animadverto lux, quod ego narrow divinitus.

"Flamma, aqua, terra, ventosus, luna, sol, aurum, argentum, populous y angelus.

"Abambulo."

* * *

Piper watched carefully as Cyclonis muttered words in the ancient language. She picked up a few things about hope not being far, and about divinity. Piper narrowed her eyes and concentrated on resonating and balancing energy between Aerrow and herself, already creating a shield between the world and themselves. She wished that Cyclonis had had the time to tell her what the exact physics were; she would have been so much more useful. All that she could do now was trust Cyclonis and the Dark Ace.

Piper watched remorsefully as her friend began to glow with red light, battling the crystal.

Ace couldn't stop looking at Cyclonis's glowing eyes, wanting the light to go away and for her to smile ruefully like she did, even as a child. He gripped his sword and grimaced, knowing that he had to do what she ordered. Not for the sake of loyalty, but for Atmos. For the home he had forsaken in order to honor his hero, Lightning. He was put in the same situation twice. He could hear the voices of the only two people he had ever loved, using the same words and speaking simultaneously.

"You have to kill me, for the sake of Atmos.

"Phoenix.

"Ace."

He had gone by many names, but now he didn't want to be anyone. He just wanted to run away and hide forever. He would save Atmos, but at what price? To sacrifice the man he had often wanted to call his father and the only person he'd thought that he'd managed to protect? To even witness the death of his previous liege, Lady Arthania, and still have to remain true to Atmos was a burden he'd wished had fallen to someone else.

_And still_, he thought as he watched his liege struggle with the crystal, _everytime I try to walk away, someone is always there to need protection, or to ask me for help. I'm a fool for being so weak. I should have quit when Lightning told me I was too young. I should have resigned when Lady Arthania died, like Captain Frigate. I should have left when Cyclonis went insane. But I didn't. I didn't have the backbone to take a deep breath and look away. And now look where I am. About to kill the only person who cares about me like I about them. Again. I'm a weak fool._

Then he looked at the girl who had to watch her mother murdered by her grandmother, then was compelled by the demon to commit many murders herself. He then looked at the woman who had taken it upon herself to right many wrongs that were not hers at the cost of her life, who had faced her crimes and taken responsibility for them, who had not run away from her own horrors.

He decided that the moment he laid eyes on this girl was the moment that he ceased to have a choice. Even if he had not been inclined to help Atmos, even if he had been there just for the glory, he wouldn't have been able to ever walk away from that girl, because he wanted to prevent her from becoming someone like him.

The first crack in the crystal appeared, and Ace tightened his grip on the sword, mind blank and heart heavy with sorrow.

He was just a fool.

* * *

Andy couldn't shake off the feeling of resign and grim expectation. She felt like she was getting ready to die, which she most definitely wasn't. She shook her head to clear it, then looked at the two people who were staring at her intently.

"So, let me get this straight," she said, taking a deep breath. "I'm in a place called Atmos, in the middle of a war of Atmos against Cyclonia. Atmos doesn't have a military, but legions of squadrons led by certified skyknights. And evil master Cyclonis is insane and planning to destroy Atmos, and your squadron is the leaders of this attack to stop her. And you're not a lizard, you're a merb."

They nodded.

"And supposedly I look identical to this Master Cyclonis."

They nodded.

Andy stared, then started laughing.

Finn scowled. "What's so funny?"

"I'm sorry, it's not. But just the way you were talking about Cyclonia and Atmos and justice. You sounded like my mom about Christianity and anyone else who doesn't believe in god. A bunch of psycho freaks that take whatever they've been taught way too seriously."

"What's wrong about believing in defending Atmos? Besides, Cyclonia is the bad guys here!" Finn whined, annoyed that the cyclonis-but-not-cyclonis girl didn't understand.

"How old are you? There is no bad or good in this world. All conflicts are just competition for resources. People only fight for what they want, and if they get in the way of someone else, people call it a war. Of course, sometimes people's wants can be less than noble, but have you ever thought that you might be the bad guys?"

They looked baffled and outraged at the same time. Stork glared at her.

"Have you guys ever tried to negotiate with them, or even know the reason this war started?"

Silence.

"See? You're fighting purely because you're angry that they want the same thing as you do. Land and peace. Can't you see how stupid that is? There's no good or bad. There's just competition and ignorance."

She looked at the boy who was incredibly naïve for the age of fourteen, and the adult amphibian that should know this. They were stupid and ignorant, just like the people back home. Even in a world she was unwillingly dragged into, she had to deal with ignorance. She was tired and confused, but still alert enough to be annoyed.

"Geez, you sound like Piper. Do all girls think like that? We've already had to bust her in and out of the restricted library to get her the reason why we're fighting."

Andy looked at him, curious. Maybe there were some people who were capable of critical thinking here. Maybe-

She didn't get to finish that thought, as pain and light took over her five senses. She fell to the ground, eyes glowing red and her mind flailing to escape the suction of another soul.

"Holy Shit!" She yelled, the panic, agony and pressure becoming too much for her. She clawed blindly at the floor, but her mental grip gave way and she found her every memory getting searched. She felt violated and exposed, feeling that this was probably worse than rape. She desperately tried to block out the invisible entity that was searching her, and shouted a series of curses and profanities that probably would get me kicked off .

She tried to protect herself, to push out the invading soul, to kick off the gross, disgusting sensation of being felt all over.

She didn't understand what was going on. The entity just flinched away, then Andy felt panic and determination at the same time. Something was assaulting the thoughtless ghost, and it was winning. The entity screamed and flailed blindly as it died away.

Andy didn't understand. Mental feelings were too hard to control, too hard to remember, much more difficult to comprehend. She was so confused. Some familiar thing was squeezing the life out of the ghost.

"Now you have known panic and despair. Die now."

"Foolish girl. I will destroy you and use you as I have your predecessors. The cycle will continue. You will fail as your mother and father have."

"Not this time. This time, the cycle will die with me!"

"You don't plan to- FOOLISHNESS!"

Andy felt an explosion, and more pain ensued. She tried to escape, to go back to being sane and in her own body, but she couldn't. She could do nothing but writhe in agony while the explosion settled.

Cyclonis could sense Andy there, and she hoped that her sister would get out of there as soon as possible. She knew that the damage done would be irreparable if Andy was still linked while Cyclonis died.

She could feel all the energy in herself, threatening to overflow, waiting to take her over. She waited for the Dark ace to kill her and evacuate as the crystal shattered. The small link the energy still had to the crystal kept Atmos vulnerable. The physical being and the soul had to be destroyed. She fought to keep the energy contained, pleading for the Ace to hurry up. She was still blind and trapped inside her own mind, but she knew she couldn't hold on much longer.

"Ace! Hurry up, please!" She cried. The pain was too much.

She felt a sharp pain in her stomach and knew that he had done it. The energy started to fade away, and Cyclonis relaxed. She felt content and calm. She had prepared for this moment; how foolish. Death was calm. Death was freedom. Death was easy, easier than living. Cyclonis felt happy and relaxed. Instead of feeling weak, she felt strong and ready to move on.

* * *

Ace strode over to Cyclonis with purpose, giving the dim crystal a hateful glance. He gently held her twitching hand and raised his sword over her unstable, writhing form.

"What are you doing?"

Ace was about to strike when the boy grabbed him from behind, He struggled to get free and fufill his master's wishes, but a blast alerted him that two teenagers with immense power were going to stop him, for their good nature and conscience. He just barely missed smashing into the flickering crystal and stood up again.

"What the hell are you doing?" The boy repeated. He looked so much like Lightning. The boy could have known a better side of Ace. Ace looked at him remorsefully then started towards his master again.

"You won't lay a hand on her!" Piper shouted, standing between him and Cyclonis. Her orange eyes never resembled Cyclonis's somber purple ones, but now, the passion to do right and protect reminded him of his suffering master. He tried to push past her when Cyclonis cried out in pain.

"Ace! Hurry up, please!"

Ace felt tears running down his face. He hadn't shed any tears since Lightning had died. He pushed past the astonished children and knelt beside Cyclonis, letting his tears flow. No matter what the thought behind his feelings were, He loved her. He didn't care if it was parental or romantic. She was a kind, strong soul that he loved. And now he had to kill her.

He plunged his sword into her torso, and she lurched once, then fell limp. The red light left her eyes, and she opened them slowly. She smiled serenely, reaching up to wipe one of his tears away.

"Don't cry. You did the right thing."

"Did I? I killed someone I love, again. When have I ever done anything right?"

She just smiled. "You let me die a free soul."

Cyclonis breathed in deeply, then smiled and closed her eyes.

The crystal shattered into a million pieces, leaving a broken servant to mourn his liege.

* * *

Henri gasped as he saw the world disappear around him. He felt himself, falling, but his blind state terrified him. All his life, he'd been able to see lights of life. A wave of energy blasted through him, and he felt something of great magnitude shatter. He grimaced as he bashed into something, a membrane of some sort. He was getting sucked into it, and he flailed to get away. He couldn't breathe. He was so confused. He desperately wished for this to be a dream, for him to wake up and be home again.

Henri was torn through the membrane, and what he saw took his breath away. Brilliant, white light filled every inch of whatever space he was in, and he felt the powerful knowledge of a hundred world pressing down on his eyes. He wanted to cry, in both joy and fear, but he started falling again. He didn't want to leave. He wanted to stay with this white light.

"Leave now, Henri Eilsenburg. You will face many hardships and sorrow. You will wish that all this is a dream. You will have to be brave. You will have to be strong. But fear not, for you go with the gift of the Many…"

Henri felt calm, despite his situation. He felt ready and confident.

"Good. Now go, little changeling."

Henri started falling again, and he passed through another membrane swiftly. He felt himself falling slowly, and some breeze tickled his face. White visions of plants and the warm energy of sunlight filled his mind. He landed on soft grass.

Then he saw something truly amazing. Lights of different colors were embedded in what he would assume to be the earth, and the light glowed brightly, as if with a conscious mind. He wondered what it was. Then he noticed that the lights and the vegetation ended abruptly in a perimeter around where he was sitting. It was queer. Was it the end of the world?

Henri wanted to find out, then realized he was in a bit of a pickle. He had no wheelchair. He was stuck.

Henri stared down at the parting in the grass where his legs would be, and sighed longingly. Then he yawned and blinked a few times to clear the tears.

He stopped, baffled. He opened his eyes and rubbed them. A lush green forest, _green_, filled his sight. He could see.

Henri instinctively stood up to rejoice, and then froze. He could move his legs. He was not blind and paralyzed; he was seeing and standing up.

For the first time in fourteen years, Henri Eilsenburg was standing on his own legs and seeing through his own two eyes.

* * *

**I dropped a lot of emotional bombs there, didn't I?**

**And don't worry, I'll be getting to the Storm Hawks and your OCs soon. **

**Happy new years!**

**Kitty: Really, you need to stop inflating my ego. XD But thanks for reviewing! And please forgive my sloppy, made-up latin. I know it made you cringe.**

**THE Mage of Music: XD thanks for reviewing. Sorry about the updating; I get lazy or overworked from time to time.**

**And the people who are hopefully reading this, but not reviewing; You can just say Hi and make me feel great. I get pride from the number of reviews I get, and it's good advertising. XD**

**Flames are accepted with open arms as long as they don't contain ignorance. Criticism is searched for and treated like royalty.**

**Review and spread the love? XD**

**Happy new years, everyone.**

**PS and please point out typos. Like I said, I get really sloppy sometimes.**


	7. Just Another Day

**------------------------------------------------------------ Just Another Day--------------------------------------------------------**

Henri looked around, smiling. He hadn't seen color, real color, in fourteen years. The lush green plants and the clear blue sky made him almost overcome with euphoria. He picked a red flower and contented himself with devouring its crimson red beauty with his eyes. Everything was just so _real_, not whispy and flickering like spirits.

And walking, to use his own legs again! Not 30 minutes ago had he ran like his life depended on it, ran until the exhilaration made his head spin. Of course, not knowing what it felt to be out of breath or overexerted, Henri had blacked out a bit and collapsed, but that didn't stop it from feeling good.

Henri sat on the soft grass and looked out onto the horizon, twirling the flower in his hand. After his burst of joy, Henri busied himself with satisfying his curiosity. The end of the land that he had seen was indeed the end; the earth just cut off and there was naught but clouds and more sky. Henri had walked around the edge, and ended up in the same spot; it was a small island in the middle of the sky. Henri was bursting with questions. How did this island come to be? Why was it above the cloudline? And what lied beyond the horizon?

And what in the name of Luther were those lights underneath the soil? Henri still had his mental eye, and whenever he closed his eyes, the lights beneath his feet shone into his eye. What were they? Why did they burn with such a powerful, colored fire? If Henri didn't know better, he would have thought the lights were people.

Henri sighed, wistful. If only he could get the answers to all these questions!

Then he remembered the old Eilsenburg motto his father had preached about so. If you have been granted a boon, cherish it and do not long for more.

Of course he wanted more. His longing to know everything was the very fuel that drove Henri in his studies. But now, he was content to cherish his newfound sight and legs.

Henri sighed and closed his eyes. Then he saw five flames that were different shades of blue advancing towards him, malice in their thoughts. Henri jerked upright and stood quickly. How could he have not noticed? As magnificent as sight was, it was intoxicating and distracting.

Henri tensed as the five figures stepped out from the bushes. They were clad in a red and black uniform, and each held a staff with a red, glowing crystal mounted on the tip. They were skinny and wore goggles of some sort; real downers, one might say. They all wore the same scowl, too.

Henri found himself closing his eyes to get a better idea of what they wanted. What he saw astonished him. Not the men, they were planning to do something that hurt, and that was to be expected with their expressions, but the staves they had took Henri's breath away. The lights that were underground were glowing from the tips of the staves, all of them blood red and vibrating with power.

He opened his eyes again. _Crystals_, he realized. They're crystals. _This earth's naturally occurring minerals are crystals that contain pure energy. _

He was amazed, even as they advanced to hurt him.

"You. Where are you from?" One of the men gruffly asked.

Henri was still too amazed to answer.

"I asked you a question!"

Henri looked at them blankly. Why were they wearing such strange clothes? If his suspicions were true, then he must truly be in another realm. The thought made Henri's heart race with a scholar's passion.

The gruff one growled and did something funny with his staff; he jerked it a bit, but didn't thrust it forward. The crystal glowed.

Even with his eyes open, Henri could sense what was happening. The crystal squeezed in a bit, then threw some of its energy outwards as it bounced back. If Henri wasn't so fascinated, he would have dodged. But, he didn't, so the energy bolt hit him square in the stomach and pushed him to the ground.

"Agh!" He grunted, surprised. He hadn't felt so much pain since the accident.

"How do you like that, punk?" The men laughed and advanced on the groaning Henri.

"I think you'd best leave him alone."

The men turned to see a young gunslinger with his small revolver drawn. The gunslinger raised his chin and looked at the men beneath the rim of his hat.

"Pickin' on a poor man just because he's wearing funny clothes? Now, that ain't right, innit?" He raised his gun and waved it. "Now clear out before I change m'mind about leavin' you alive."

Henri coughed and managed to sit up and assess the situation. Strange men with crystals had attacked him, and now he was being rescued by a teenage cowboy?

Henri took a closer look. The boy had black pants and a black vest on top of a red shirt. He was tan and his black hat had rims that matched his brown eyes. Henri could sense crystals in his gun and the rifle on his back. The boy looked about seventeen, but the look in his eyes made Henri think that the boy had seen more things than Henri had, if you'd excuse the pun.

"Scram, punk. Cyclonia offers no mercy to intruders. We've no business with kids pretending to be heroes."

Henri had a sense that the man shouldn't have said that. The look on the boy's face confirmed it.

"Sewer-scratchin', thumb-tongued rats," he said. The boy walked forward and proceeded to raise his gun and-

Henri ducked. The kid was firing bull's eyes and kicking them over with incredible expertise. Where in the world had he learned to fight like that?

When the men realized that they were no match, they began to run away.

"You'll regret this!"

"Cyclonia is a bad enemy!"

The boy snorted. "Git out o' here before I shoot yer jabberin' mouths shut, you no good thugs," he mumbled as they ran.

Henri managed to stand up and look at the boy with wide eyes. He'd never seen anyone fight like that before. Of course, he had never _seen_, but you know how he was feeling.

"Thank you."

"None needed. Jus' clearin' out some thugs that ain't supposed to be here. They should be out in th'war, defendin' whatever side they're on," The boy spat. "No good thugs."

Henri was a bit baffled. "Well, thank you, nonetheless. I wouldn't have stood a chance."

The boy looked Henri up and down. "Well, you best be on your way home. S'no knowin' when the thugs might come back. You got a skimmer or a carrier?"

Henri gave him a blank stare. The boy looked angrily startled.

"What, you jus' decided to git yerself stranded out here with nothin'? Yesu Crist, Stranger!" The boy took his hat off and ran his hand through his brown hair. "Well, nothin' to do but drop you off at a diner or so. Follow me, I'll git you a ride," he said gruffly and walked off. Henri stumbled and tried to catch up.

"Thank you, uh…"

"Name's Constantine."

"Constantine. It's nice to meet you. I'm Henri Eilsenburg."

Constantine looked at Henri with an annoyed and exasperated look. "Didn't ask, stranger. Stop your jabberin'. Won't get far in this time and age with your lack o' backbone n' discretion."

Henri clamped his mouth shut and tried to hide his frown. He'd met friendlier pine needles, but beggars couldn't be choosers. If Constantine was indeed going to drop him off at the civilization of this world, then he'd best go with him. Henri was still bursting with the addition of questions; how did the people here evolve to look just like his? How did they manage to invent ways of communication and transportation? If they were far along enough in technology to make weapons, then what else were they capable of?

But these had to wait. For now, Henri was content with marveling over the thing called a 'skimmer.'

"You'd best try not to look so stupid in public," Constantine grunted at Henri's open mouth.

* * *

Nerva looked up at the sky as a red energy wave ripped through it. She almost dropped the crate she was holding because of her activated curiosity. What crystal sent that blast off? What happened? What could have powerful enough to create a shockwave that big? Did the war raging at Cyclonia have to do anything with it? If so, then was it to our advantage or theirs? Her mind boggled with questions. She was, after all, a scientist.

"Oy, Katz! Get back to work!"

Nerva cringed at the voice of her labmaster. "Yes, sir!"

She hurried off to get the crystal crate to the senior researchers. Being a junior intern herself, she seldom conducted the experiments herself. Nerva sighed as she counted the years until she could become a full-fledged and licensed Crystal Mechanic. People had congratulated her for getting into the lab _at all_ in her young age, but she was nowhere near becoming a Mechanic as great as her mother. Adelajda Katz wasn't just a Mechanic; she was THE Crystal Mechanic. She'd practically invented the Firebolt crystal and the Frost crystal. For that, she'd been kidnapped by Cyclonia to work for them, but it was up to Nerva to get a license, join a squadron, then rescue her.

Nerva dropped the crate off and ignored the passive, snobby attitude of the seniors as she headed back. Then she went back to get another crate of nimbus crystals to deliver to the Ivory tower in order for the Atmosians to equip themselves with the newest smoke bombs. Nerva looked up wistfully at the sky and sighed. So much was happening with the war, and still here she was, doing mule work for others.

It was just another day on the job.

* * *

Piper tried to hide her tears as Dark Ace laid Cyclonis's body on the cold floor. All the native Cyclonians and some of the skyknights were gathered there, their hearts somber and their expression sober. The young Crystal Mage squeezed her skyknight's hand and tried to look away.

"Piper…."

"How could this happen? She wasn't supposed to die. She can't."

Aerrow looked at his navigator and sighed, putting and arm around her shoulders as she tried not to cry into his shirt. "No matter how strong she was, she was only human."

"Stop saying 'was.' I don't… I can't-"

"Piper. People die. It's just life. We can't do a damn thing about it. We should be happy for her; she's finally free."

Piper tried to find an argument against that. She tried to argue how wrong it was for Cyclonis to die, how unfair the world was, how it was the world's fault. But she couldn't. People died everyday. It was life, as Aerrow had said. They had nothing to do but mourn her and let her rest in peace.

A butterfly landed on her arm and then floated away. She scowled. How could it act like nothing had happened on this gruesome day?

Then she realized that outside the battle, life must be going on like usual. People would be eating, sleeping, talking, and working like nothing had happened. Sure, they'd be shocked when they heard of the outcome; but after a few months, would anyone even care anymore?

It was a hard fact, but Piper had to accept it. But that didn't mean she could wrap her head around it just yet.

How could it be another day in Atmos when one of the bravest people she knew had left the living?

* * *

Andy blinked and tried to orient herself as a light was repeatedly flashed into her eyes.

"Hey, you okay?"

The light was put away, and Andy blinked repeatedly, trying to see past the spots. She was lying on something soft, like a bed. She tried sitting up, still blinded.

"Whoa, take it easy there. You're awake, but not well enough to stand yet."

Andy finally managed to regain her sight and looked up at the smiling face of her caretaker. Then she froze.

"My name's Junko. What's yours?"

Andy's only reply was to scream and bolt for the door. She felt a sense of déjà vu coming, but she didn't care enough to stop and contemplate it. She punched at the door, desperately wishing for it to open.

"Calm down, you need to rest-"

Andy screamed again and shielded herself as Junko approached.

"Get away from me, you overgrown rhino!"

She heard the rhino stop, then whimper. When nothing happened for about a minute, Andy opened her eyes and looked at him. He was on the verge of tears, looking at her with wide, childish eyes.

Talk about the guilt trip.

"Look, I'm sorry, I just…. Got scared. I've never seen anything like you before, and I'm new to this world. Just don't… cry, okay?"

She hesitantly reached out, feeling incredibly bad.

"You…you were scared of _me_? Why would you be scared of _me_?"

"Well, you're not exactly human, are you?"

Junko laughed. "I'm a wallop, you silly."

Andy looked effectively lost.

"Wow, you really aren't Cyclonis, are you?"

"Cyclonis," Andy muttered. It was all coming back to her; the rush of power, the pain, the feeling of being crushed by a million pounds, the sudden cut-

"Oh my god," Andy gripped her forehead, wide-eyed, "Cynthia."

The pain. The acceptance. The sudden lack of presence.

"Hey, Junko-"

The door opened and Finn walked in. Andy gave him one look and shoved him aside, bolting down the hall. She wasn't _thinking_ per se; she was just acting on impulse, with only desperation racing through her head. She could hear shouts behind her, but she ignored them. Somehow, she managed to find a way out quickly and onto the landing dock of a huge airship. Andy would have been impressed or scared when she saw the huge carrier, but she didn't have the mental capacity at the moment.

Andy ran through the twists and turns in the metal corridors, trusting her gut and not thinking enough to even consider where she was going; she just thought of Cynthia and let her legs to the rest. Andy finally came upon a larger landing dock that was meant for other smaller carriers. A crowd was gathered, so she pushed past them desperately, not noticing the pale, terrified looks on their faces. When she finally got through the crowd and to whatever had their attention, she felt her knees going weak. Her head spun, and she took a few steps before collapsing to her knees beside the pale corpse of her sister.

* * *

**Hello, dear readers.**

**I've been doing nothing but write lately. Write about rain, about life, write this story, then work on my next one, then work on a songfic…..**

**Perhaps it's a side effect from the vacation that has ended a few days ago for me. Who knows?**

**Thanks for reading. Don't forget to review, because you get a lovely thank you from me and a chance for your OCs to be in an epic story. Ok, maybe I'm flattering myself, but still, review, please?**

**Kitty: Thank you for the compliments and review, as always. Unfortunately, you're going to have to hang for another few days before you find out what Cyclonis's fate truly is. And the latin; wow, that sound so much cooler than what I had intended. I meant to say that 'the ancients have spoken of a tomorrow without evil, therefore hope is near. I see the light, and I speak of all that is divine." And so on. But I think I like your translation better. **

**Mastermind: Thanks! I'm not sure what you mean, though. Got what?**

**Flame soldier: Thank you! I like to think that I'm improving slowly, and I'm glad I'm not just being delusional XD. Aw, that's too bad about to OCs. I like your project legend. And your taste of games; high-five, fellow Ace Attorney fan. **

**Disclaimer:**

**I do not own- oh, screw this, you know what I'm talking about, right?**

**Review, please. Criticism is like gold to me. Intelligent flames outlining why my writing sucks is always welcome. Just dropping by to say hi always makes my day.**


	8. Don't Give up on me

Sorry about the late update, guys; the past month has been insane. Final projects, midyears, unit tests….. Thank god things have finally settled down. I've finally got some time to sit down and write, so here goes.

---------------------------------------------------------Why did you give up?----------------------------------------------------------------

Andy sat on the bed, looking blankly at the wall. It was composed of an erratic pattern of steel plates and bolts, as Andy found was common in ship cabins. The metal was tinted red due to the red lights in the room. She played with a small letter opener that was on the desk. The whirring of engines hummed through the walls. She could hear chatter from the room above her. The letter opener clinked on the metal floor as Andy accidentally dropped it. She looked down at it, feeling no incentive to pick it up.

The ship was heading to Terra Atmosia for a full hearing on what happened during the battle. Andy was to testify as to why Cyclonis had such a change of heart, and just who Andy was in relation to the late empress. Dark Ace had rubbed the back of his head many times as he explained this to Andy; it was an awkward talk, but Andy appreciated the effort he put into it. It must have been hard on him.

Everyone stared at her wherever she went. The past week was hell, the days blurring together into one giant mess. Andy could barely tell if her arrival here was yesterday or a thousand years ago.

She stared at the small knife, feeling dead. Everything was broken now, every small action feeling separate from everything else, every noise feeling so far away from other noises. Nothing connected anymore. It was like walking and sensing every step in an exaggeratedly fractured manner, instead of moving forward in a fluid motion. To top it off, nothing had meaning anymore. It took Andy a few seconds to look at something and realize what she was looking at, and even then she didn't feel the implications. Humor was completely obliterated; a kind guard had gathered up the courage to tell her a joke, but she had done nothing but stare at him blankly.

She mildly noted that this was a familiar feeling. It was the same when Hans passed away. She went to school and ate and did everything that a regular person would do, but she was just numb from the funeral she had to attend. It took an insensitive comment from Kirk to snap her back to reality. Although the young jerk ended up with a black eye, he'd put Andy back into full gear. She'd powered through her life with one hell of vigor, devouring opportunities with a ravenous appetite.

That was when Andy cut Cynthia out, too.

She picked up the letter opener and sighed. She'd told herself that she was just working to repel ignorance, to get a better life than her parents ended up with. But in truth, she was just a lying coward. She didn't want to go like Hans did. Her brother was on his way to medical school when a car crash snapped his neck. She didn't want to go like that, unfulfilled and in an instant. She worked her head off because she wanted to get somewhere in life, because she wanted to be just another human in the world. She just wanted to live a normal life without tragedies or complications. She didn't want to know what was beyond this life everyone followed.

Ironically, she believed that ignorance was bliss.

And it took another sibling's death for her to realize that.

She looked at her reflection in the blade of the small trinket and narrowed her eyes. They were purple now, which should have been impossible. Her hair, tied back into the usual ponytail, was also tinted dark violet.

Andy scowled and threw the opener at the wall, wedging it into a bolt with uncanny precision. Another change. Andy groaned and leaned back to collapse on the bed. What the hell was happening? Why was she here? Why couldn't this be a dream she could wake up from? She'd learned her lesson. She was being stupid, pushing everyone away. She was running away from reality, lying to herself that she was the only one willing to face it. She was the most ignorant out of everyone she knew.

"I've learned my lesson… Why can't you let me go?"

She lay there, feeling numb. Then she laughed out loud as she caught herself wishing for red hair instead of purple in the midst of all this madness. She was still an ignorant child, lying to herself, not feeling anything.

Everything was broken and discolored.

"What the hell are you doing here, Morgenstern?" She muttered to herself.

The familiar hissing of hydraulics alerted Andy to the door opening. Footsteps approached her, but stopped a few feet away.

"Hey," Ace said softly.

Andy sat up and gave him a blank stare. The man had been kind to her, and made an effort to make her feel comfortable, as impossible as that was. Despite the guards' rumors that she heard, he seemed to be a good man. Andy did her best to give him a weak smile, albeit a little forced. He looked a bit baffled, then gave a small smile back.

"We've docked. It's a bit colder in Atmosia; put your coat on. I'll be waiting outside."

Another fact she had learned here was that Atmos didn't have seasons. The temperatures varied by the Terra, and so crops and other materials could only be found in certain regions. Atmos relied heavily on their trade system; that was one of the reasons they hated Cyclonia so much. Cyclonia had made a habit of disrupting the trade routes with trouble, and encouraging pirates. She wondered why Atmos didn't have seasons, then realized that Earth must be an anomaly in all the many planets in the universe. It's been hit by a Mars-sized space rock in its early days, and acquired an angled tilt as a result. Not all planets would have had a tilt, and so the seasons wouldn't exist.

Or, Andy didn't pay attention in science class and didn't know what she was talking about.

Andy pulled on a thin, black trench coat-looking thing and walked out of the room. The guards gave her a respectful bow; she'd never get used to that. She walked briskly down the hall and reached the exit. She preferred not to pass through the hangar bay, because the mechanics with eye patches creeped her out.

Indeed, Ace was waiting outside, looking out at the busy dock. He turned to face her as she waddled down the catwalk. Evidently pleased with her previous attempt to make nice, Ace gave her another small smile.

"Come on. Court starts in a few hours, but we've got to declare our presence at the Beacon Tower."

Andy forced another smile and followed him as he led the way.

At least there were nice people here.

* * *

"Ah, Mr. Wilson and Mr. Porter. Welcome. I don't believe we've met; I am Gabriel Roman, your new director. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

Kyle raised an eyebrow as Johnathon chuckled.

"New director already?"

"Yes, unfortunately," said, Roman, sighing, "Your previous director, Victor Sullivan, has quit due to familial matters. But enough of that. The sky knight council has a new mission for you."

Kyle sat down and swung his legs onto the desk. Johnathon turned a chair around and sat on it backwards, resting his arms on the back of it. The dimly lit library was a frequent meeting place for these kinds of meetings, but the location changed every time. The two smiled mischievously as they played with the prospect of a new mission. They'd been put on reconnaissance because of the war, and they loved the idea of getting into fighting again.

"We're all ears."

"Ah, thank you. You see, there is a ship docking in Atmosia today, and it's carrying two very notable people……"

* * *

Nerva barely avoided bashing into someone as she hurried to the tower. Muttering a hasty apology, she continued on her way. The court hearing and conference for the outcome of the war was today, and Nerva wasn't going to miss it. When she heard that the war was at a cease-fire and negotiations were open, she felt an outburst of hope. She could see her mother again. Her mother wouldn't have to wait any more long years waiting for Nerva to come.

The young girl finally reached the beacon tower, squeezing past the bustling crowd of people, flashing her priority pass to the guards as she passed through the gates. The importance of her mother's inventions had made Nerva's presence mandatory, and for once she was allowed to go first without receiving any condescending looks.

She took a seat in one of the front rows of the second floor spectator balconies, trying to calm herself. She was way too excited for this.

One of the registrars banged the gavel.

"The court of Atmosia will commence the war conference of the recent battle now!"

The room quieted down as everyone took a seat. Nerva could feel all eyes on the pair sitting in the ambassadors' seats. A man who Nerva assumed was the notorious Dark Ace, and a girl with dark violet eyes and hair. She had a dead expression on her face, seeming to look through things. Nerva was confused; didn't the tabloids say that Master Cyclonis had died during the battle?

"Now," the registrar started, "Would the Dark Ace testify to the exact events that occurred during the battle, and fill us in on the details our Skyknights could not give us?"

Ace stood up and took a deep breath. He gave Andy one glance to give himself courage. The girl looked so much like Cyclonis in her younger years before the demon; he felt Cyclonis there with him.

Giving the registrars a long, hard look, he launched into how Cyclonis had fainted and awoken with new eyes.

Andy started to zone out of the testimony. For some reason, what Ace was saying didn't interest her. She should have been listening, but she didn't really want to. She knew how horrifying it was for Cynthia to go through death; she didn't need any more details.

She looked around the room at the various people sitting in their seats at their tables and at the spectators in the balcony. She swept the room in one glance, then stopped as she met a black girl's eyes. Andy recognized her as one of the Atmosian soldiers that were at the dock where Cynthia died. She was sitting with the ginger, Junko the Rhino, Finn the dumb blonde, and the amphibian man that Andy had yet to learn the name of. Back home, Andy would have broken the eye contact immediately, but now she was curious as to why someone wouldn't break the contact before Andy could react. After all, she'd been told numerous times that she was the identical twin of Atmos's worst-enemy-turned-good.

Andy recognized the look in the girl's eyes. It was sympathy, good old, sincere sympathy. Not the exaggerated kind that hurt people's pride, but the one that made you feel comforted, feel like you weren't alone in the world. The kind that could only come from someone who shared your pain. Who was this girl?

Andy felt a smile tugging at her lips. There was nothing humorous or pleasant about this situation, but for some reason, Andy found it funny. She spent her entire life trying to avoid people and secretly wishing for someone to understand her, and here she was, one week into appearing out of nowhere, and already two people had shown her true compassion. If this wasn't a dream, then it was going to be one heck of a turning point in her life.

The girl smiled sadly. Andy had a feeling she was going to like that girl if she had a chance to get to know her.

* * *

Addy downed another shot, ignoring her neighbors' worried looks. That was her tenth shot today, and it was still broad daylight. The tavern was filled with people who were eating lunch, and Addy really didn't give a damn. She wanted to get hell drunk until she couldn't remember who she was, then get left on a street or something and die.

The door opened with a jingle and two figures walked in. Addy glanced at them, then squinted. She recognized one of the figures, but who was it? But then again, did it matter? She downed the shot she had just ordered and ordered another one.

"Adelajda Katz," A stern, angry voice said, "What the 'ell do you think you're doin'?"

Addy looked up. The person she had recognized was standing over her, his expression contorted in a menacing scowl. She squinted again.

"Stan?"

"Drinkin' fireshots in broad daylight, y'poison-chugging-" Constantine sighed and composed himself. He grabbed her arm and said, "Let's get ye home, idiot. Yer old man's sick wi' worry."

Addy yanked her arm away. "My old man doesn't give a damn."

"Ye don't know that, Addy. Now git yer ass out of here before I drag ye out."

Addy looked him in the eye. "F***. You."

"A'ight, that's it!" Constantine grabbed her waist and hoisted her over his shoulder. Addy held back the vomit threatening to spill as her head spun.

"Put me down, you motherf-"

"Watch yer dirty mouth, Addy, before I throw ye over the terra," Constantine said casually.

"Hey, you can't just kidnap a drunken girl-" The bartender protested, but Constantine just threw him a few coins to pay for Addy's drinks and scowled.

"Trust me, bartender, if she really wanted down, she'd have snapped my neck already."

"Don't tempt me, jackhole."

"Shut up."

Adelajda muttered a string of curses into Constantine's ear as he walked out of the tavern. He laughed.

"You gotta start actin' like a proper lady if ye want me to treat you like one and stop hasslin' ya."

"Put me down unless you want me to barf on your pretty red shirt, Stan."

Constantine sighed. "Downed 'leven shots o' fire Vodka, eh? Mebbe Funny man from the stray terra'll fix ya up. Seemed to be a doctor o' some sort."

He shifted her weight on his shoulder as she fell unconscious. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

Andy blinked at Ace. He was saying something, but it wasn't registering. It took her a few seconds to realize that the court was addressing her now.

"Andromeda?"

Andy frowned instinctively at the name, as she hated the awkwardness of it. The court misunderstood her expression.

"Miss, if you have any objections to our inquiry-"

"Oh," Andy said, finally waking up to the situation. "No, that's not- I'm not-" She took a deep breath to steady her thoughts. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frown… I just don't like my name. Sorry. What was the question again?"

The registrars gave her a queer look before one of them continued.

"We asked for a testimony on your relations to the late Master Cyclonis, and if you know any information that might fill in the rest of the gaps in our info."

Andy took a deep breath. Ace had left figuring out what she was going to say entirely up to her, but how much would she reveal? They would call her crazy if she told them about the demon and their psychic link. Maybe even throw her in an asylum like her parents did back then. But then again, would she be able to form a good, believable story on the spot?

The answer was yes. All her life, Andy had this uncanny talent in lying. She wasn't particularly good at anything else, but she was always able to lie her way out of anything, provided she had enough information to go on. And her role was to act like she didn't know anything; that wasn't too far from the truth.

"Cynthia was my sister….. I don't remember many details form our childhood, but I know that we were close. Then our mother died, and I… I abandoned her. I didn't want to be part of a war anymore. I left Cyclonia and ran to a remote terra…. And lived by myself. I was on one of my trips to repair my skimmer… then I got caught in a storm and lost my sense of direction. Then something hit my skimmer and it exploded…"

"Then you landed on the Condor," the registrar finished for her. Andy nodded. It was a pretty good lie. She hoped that they would buy it.

"Though that testimony gave us more questions than answers, I suppose that it is all we can ask for at the moment."

Andy blinked and started zoning out again as the courtroom turned to more formal matters again.

Then it happened.

It started out as a small comment from a blonde Skyknight that Andy was more than willing to ignore. Then she heard Cynthia's name and it all registered.

"I don't _understand_ why we're here; the damn witch is finally dead. Shouldn't we all be celebrating?" A sickeningly snobby English accent said rather loudly for the occasion.

The room was completely silent for a fraction of a second, then a registrar cleared his throat and was about to continue.

Something snapped inside Andy. Why didn't anyone react? Even Dark Ace did nothing but scowl and tighten his fists. Why wasn't anyone angry?

"You don't talk like that."

Everyone stopped and stared at her. The blonde man who had said the comment stood up and faced her.

"Care to repeat that, young lady?"

Andy stood up. She felt her entire body gear into action. Anger made her vision go red, fire pounding through her veins.

"Cynthia gave her _everything_ to save Atmos. When she realized what she had done, she gave away her pride, her life. She did everything in her power to save your worthless lives!"

The skyknight snorted in skeptism and anger. He approached Andy, a haughty look upon his face.

"I do believe you're a hypocrite for calling _me_ worthless. Besides, what is one scum psycho's life compared to-"

Andy didn't let him finish that sentence. She tackled him full force, knocking him to the ground. She didn't know where she learned to punch; but she threw one hell of a right hook several times to the bastard's face before Ace could pull her off.

"Andy!"

"My word, what preposterous-!" The registrars were speechless.

Andy didn't struggle as Ace locked her arms behind her back. But she didn't take her hateful gaze off of the asshole.

"I know. I'm violent, cowardly, selfish, and a bitch. Yeah, I'm pretty much worthless. But guess what? She isn't. She was a tortured, innocent, moral girl who did her best to save everyone and die sane. I doubt a pretty boy like you wouldn't soil his pants at the prospect. So if I hear you badmouth Cynthia ever again, keep this in mind; it'll be the last thing you do."

"Andromeda Cyclonis, if you cannot restrain yourself-"

"Sorry for causing a commotion, but not for punching that asshole. Lock me up if you need to; I regret nothing."

The court was in total chaos. No matter how many times a registrar banged the gavel, the chatter and outrageous protests wouldn't cease. Nerva sat there, the only silent one, watching Andromeda be handcuffed. There was a total change in her composure; one minute she was looking numb and dead, looking like she'd given up on everything, then she was charging at that man who's insulted her sister, committing a crime because injustice was done, getting led away in chains and not giving a damn because justice had been served. The almost feral look in the girl's eyes reminded Nerva of her mother.

Something changed in Nerva too, just then; she felt this urge to talk to that girl. She didn't know what she was going to say, but she needed to stick by her, and possibly help, if she could. Maybe Andromeda would tell her where her mother was. Nonetheless, she felt this need to be brave like her. She was going to stop being the timid, meek junior that everyone can step on and get away with; she was going to be the ambitious girl who powered through life like Andromeda did. She was appalled by the violence, and she would never resort to that so carelessly; but she would still be as strong. She was going to make her mother proud, now that she could get her back.

"Court cannot continue like this. We pronounce a five-hour recess!"

* * *

She floated through the warm glow, feeling euphoric and calm. Everything was pleasant and warm; she felt like she was in heaven.

_Why am I here?_

The question upset her pattern of euphoria, though it didn't take away the feeling. It was a peculiar, yet rational question; why was she here?

_What am I? Who am I?_

_Why am I asking myself this?_

The questions kept coming, and the warmth started to fade away. In the empty cold, memories started to come back.

_I am Cynthia Cyclonis. I am an empress of a country. I am here because I'm…. dead?_

Everything she did flooded back. The euphoria was gone, and she felt terror.

_Why am I still conscious? What is this place?_

She felt a great pressure on her lungs. She wanted to breathe, but her body wouldn't respond. In a flurry of multi-colored dots, vision came rushing through her eyes.

Two hooded and cloaked men were standing in front of her. One was very young, in his early teens, and one was well on his way to his twenties. They were both smiling apologetically, and one was holding her at the point of his sword. She tried to escape, tried to push the sword away and fight back, but her body wouldn't respond.

"Don't look at us like that, sweetcheeks. Nothing personal. Just business."

She wanted to spit out a witty and swearword-heavy retort, but her lips wouldn't move. She was terrified, and her body wasn't working.

"Why would anyone try to kill me?" Her voice shook as words that were not her's came out. She was so confused, so disoriented; what the hell was happening? Wasn't she supposed to be dead?

"Sorry, baby. But you're Master Cyclonis's sister, and the council can't afford to let the Imperial House of Cyclonia keep an heiress."

Then everything clicked. This wasn't her body, it was Andy's. And she was about to get assassinated.

_Oh for the love of- _

* * *

**The Olympics opening ceremony was the most embarrassing thing ever in the history of Vancouver.**

**Yes, the lights were pretty cool. The performance by Shane was excellent. **

**But what was with the R&B anthem? **

**It SUCKED. Oh Canada is not meant to be sung like that. I barely recognized it. It would have been so much more beautiful if every Canadian in the audience stood up and sang it together.**

**And the hydraulics fail during the lighting of the torch……. That was pretty fail.**

**I did get a kick out of seeing the hockey guy go through our everyday downtown to light the torch, though. My friend waved at me from the live camera. XD.**

**Anyway.**

**I know, Chapter 8 already and nothing but rants on how Andy's depressed and shit- stick with me, it gets better.**

**Kitty: Sorry about the cliffhanger XD but you'll have to wait another week before she actually comes back into play. Thank you always for the compliments; they make my day a little less insane. I tried to mimic your personality into the OC, and it seemed to work, since the description fit nicely XD. As always, thank you for being a faithful reviewer. And get started on your writing! XD no pressure.**

**Mastermind: HAI! I borrowed my friend's games of AC 1 and two to get a grasp on how the weapons and costumes work. Great idea by the way, and don't hesitate to correct me or add more details! They are your characters, after all!**

**Akire: Yes your reviews are interesting.. you don't have to read this if you don't want to XD. Thanks for boosting my review count, though!**

**Nikolai: Your character… is coming along weirdly. Sorry to say. I did something horrible with him…. You'll forgive me, right?**

**DISCLAIMERS!**

**FOR THE EIGHT TIME, I DO NOT OWN THE STORM HAWKS. IF I DID, ACE WOULD STILL BE ALIVE AND I WOULD GET WORKING ON SEASON THREE. JUST SAYING. NO PRESSURE, MR. ACE FIPKE.**

**XD**

**I DO NOT OWN THE SPECIFIED OC's. THEY BELONG TO YOU, DEAR READERS.**

**Good night!**


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